


The Multiverse Is Small

by SleepySpeedster



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Family, Gen, Multiverse, Short, Short & Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 21:34:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13796799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepySpeedster/pseuds/SleepySpeedster
Summary: " It was the crying of a baby that made Werner stop and look up...."





	The Multiverse Is Small

**Author's Note:**

> Essentially I'm pulling the lost in another universe card and having Vertigo and King somewhat settled/comfortable enough in this world to explore and interact. Here I have (New Earth) Vertigo interacting with (Rebirth) Vertigo's half-brother in law and his half-niece who appeared in the New Talent Showcase 2017 because family has always seemed like something that is important to Vertigo, but has never been explored.
> 
> I take Vertigo's personality from a post-Checkmate standpoint.

It was the crying of a baby that made Werner stop and look up.

Of the few moments when the world seemed oddly at peace and the Squad was not needed, Werner found himself in the Star City park. A bench for himself, and a novel in hand. The loneliness forgotten between the turning of pages. That had always been his routine in the past. Today, however, held other distractions: A dark-haired man and his wailing child that could not be ignored. From his spot on the bench Werner watched as the young man struggled to soothe the baby. He pulled toys from a baby bag beneath the stroller, playfully shaking them back and forth in front of the child, a bottle of milk to see if it was hungry, nothing worked. Werner sighed, his novel book marked and abandoned as he stood and strode toward them.

The dark-haired man cradling the child in his arms was still youthful in ways. He seemed years younger than Werner himself, and held a panic in his eyes as he would give the world for the child to be happy.  
“Pardon me.” Werner spoke, “I noticed your trouble and, well, do you mind if I?” He gestured to the child, now clearly seeing the round tear stained face, how she was dressed in a small flowery dress, her tiny fists clenched and seemingly unwilling to stop her shrieks soon.  
The father was hesitant and stuttered. Naturally, Werner thought. He was but a stranger, and even more so a strange man in the park.  
Instead Werner settled into the bench the man was sitting on and asked, ”What’s her name?”  
“Katya.” He answered, and Werner couldn’t help, but smirk. If the man’s lingering accent hadn’t been a hint to Werner, the child’s name was.  
“Vlatavan.” He said with just a hint of surprise in his voice. It had been too long since he had a name native to his country and the Count couldn’t help, but coo to the child in their shared native tongue, “ _A beautiful Vlatavan name for a beautiful little girl_.”  
“You- You know Vlatavan?” The father asked surprised as the child calmed somewhat at the Count’s cooing.  
“I’m Vlatavan myself.” Werner smirked proudly, “And I presume you are as well.”  
“Yes! I am Bilal.” He held out his free hand to shake and graciously Werner took it. In his chest he could feel his heart swell.  
“Werner.” The Count simply gave as he shook the man’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you and your daughter, Bilal.”  
“Here, would you like to?” Bilal asked before he settled the child into his arms gently and dug around in the baby bag. Katya was still fussy, but between Werner’s cooing to the baby she had settled. Perhaps hearing a familiar language had pleased her. It certainly pleased Werner as he and Bilal spoke intermittently in Vlatavan. It had been some time since he had last held a baby. An old family friend he visited in the past as he remembered the squirming child in his arms. Katya squirmed and looked liked any child, but Werner couldn’t help but feel the pang in his chest.  
“It’s funny you know. My husband, Abelard, has a brother who’s name is Werner also.”  
“Really?” There was another pang, but Werner forced a controlled pleasant sounding laugh, “It must be a small world. My father was named Abelard.”  
“Really?” Bilal asked surprised.  
“Indeed.”

The men spoke of Vlatava in the time, and as Katya drifted off to sleep amongst their conversing Werner handing the child back. It was strange to part with the child. Difficult even as he thought of what this Vlatava was like. Surely it had its troubles, but still it produced people of good merit. This world’s Vlatava had not been condemned to a terrible fate.  
The sound of a whistle cut Werner off in the midst of the conversation. Looking towards the sound he saw a man in a gray suit and sunglasses standing in the shade of a tree.  
“Faraday.” He whispered. His time must have been up.  
  
“I must be going now. It was truly a pleasure to meet you, Bilal. It’s also a shame I couldn’t have met your husband.” Werner excused himself picking up his novel, and walked towards his companion.

––––––––––

“Did you have fun?” Faraday asks with a smirk on his lips. He hadn't been far from the scene as he watched the Count absorbed in his conversation and _cooing_. It was certainly a sight to see him so pleased and within a child's company no less.  
Werner scoffs slightly at his companion’s word choice, but he wasn’t entirely wrong. “The multiverse is at times a very small place, King.…Thank you.”  
“No need to thank me, Werner.” Faraday wraps an arm around Werner and squeezes his shoulder. Faraday may have seen the opportunity, but it had all been up to chance. “The world just knows how to pick an opportunity.”  
“Coming from an apparently dead man I believe you.” Werner smirks before quietly adding “…I held my niece.”  
“And how was that?”  
“Strangely comforting. It’s somewhat comforting to know that there’s at least a version of Vlatava that still exists. That someone hasn’t judged it’s very existence and it’s people ” Those blue eyes grow far for a moment as Werner thinks of home. His home. Their _actual_ universe.  
Faraday squeezes his shoulder once more before returning his arm to his side.  
The multiverse truly did feel small at times.


End file.
